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Description

The Course

The Festival and Event Management Masterclass is a popular 2 day programme designed to inform and inspire anyone involved in creating, managing and developing festivals and events. It is a highly practical course full of ideas and examples that participants can put into practice immediately to improve their events. It features sessions on key tasks and challenges for those involved in festivals and events both large and small including Marketing, Press, Programming, Evaluation, Sponsorship and Fundraising.

The Masterclass has run successfully in 20 countries worldwide including Australia, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, Ireland and Canada. Take a look at the feedback section below to see how popular and inspiring this course has been with previous participants.

Paul Gudgin has been involved with the festival industry for 30 years working on an extensive range of large-scale and smaller events including the Aldeburgh Festival, City of London Festival, Durham International Brass Festival and 8 years as the Director of the world’s largest arts festival, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This was an exciting period that saw the event double in scale hosting an incredible 12,000 performances and selling over 8 million tickets. Paul was the first recipient of the Arts and Business (Scotland) Award for Leadership and awarded an Honorary Degree by the University of Edinburgh. He has become widely regarded as a leading expert in the field of festival and event management and was appointed Visiting Professor of Festivals and Events for the UK Centre for Events Management at Leeds Beckett University. Paul has been engaged to deliver training by a host of organisations including the British Council, Events Tasmania, The New Zealand Association of Event Professionals, Festivals and Events Ontario, Rotterdam Festivals, the Australian Centre for Event Management and the National Arts Council of Korea.

The Programme

Festivals and Great Festival DestinationsUnderstanding what makes outstanding festival destinations work and assessing how to make the most of your own festival environment

People and PartnershipsLooks at how effective festival organisations manage themselves, their relationships with stakeholders and collaborations with partners.

ProgrammingThe key to the success of any festival is the strength of the programme. This session explores a number of successful programming approaches

Sponsorship and FundraisingThis session considers how to approach sponsors and explores other ways of generating much needed income.

Festivals, Tourism and Destination BrandingThis sesion considers how festivals can play a crucial role in raising the profile of a destination.

Festival MarketingThis session examines a number of successful marketing approaches adopted by leading festivals

Venues and Festival InfrastructureThis session considers how to make the most of the venues available to your festival and the infrastructure required to run festivals successfully

Working with the MediaEvery festival needs good press coverage and this session considers how best to achieve this aim.

Festivals - Impact and EvaluationThis session considers how festivals should look to maximise and evaluate their impact economically, socially and culturally.

Who Should Attend

Festival and Event Management Professionals

Arts and Event Consultants

Festival and Event Funding and Support Agency Managers

Festival and Event Board Members

Tourism and Economic Development Managers

Event Management Students and Graduates

What Is Included

2 Days Tuition

Tea and Coffee

Lunch

Course Handbook

Here are some comments from participants at previous masterclasses. They are taken from the post course survey.

StockholmThe course was a vitamin injection in how to manage a festival and also how to evolve it. In short: The ultimate Crash Course in festival management! City of Sodertalje

StavangerI found the workshop both interesting, inspiring and helpful. I have gained new ideas for my own festival and also important confirmation of things we have done that seems to be the right thing to do. In short: I loved it! Nordlysfestivalen, Tromsø

Bergen The course was well planned and insightful. Paul has loads of experience, is confident in himself, yet informal and easy to talk with, and great at involving the participants. I would recommend the course both for learning and motivational purposes. Nordland Music Festival

Calgary

This was a jam-packed course that provided much information and strengthened learning through such experiential activities as case studies, group work, and the sharing of stories. The two days went very quickly and I enjoyed every moment. Sourdough Raft Race Association

Ghent

This course gives a very clear overview about all aspects regarding Festival Management. The content is very to the point and transferred in a dynamic tempo. Two days full of relevant input. Beursschouwburg, Brussels

Melbourne

As a local government officer providing support for event organisers in our municipality, this course provided me with a variety of tips and tools that I can pass on as well as giving me the opportunity to look more critically at how we as a council support events and what we can do differently or better. The course was also a great way to meet others working in the events field from across Australia and create new mutually beneficial contacts. Alpine Shire Council

Paul’s Event Management Masterclass was of the upmost value to the projects I am currently undertaking, and to my events in the future. A wealth of experience, he is knowledgable in many aspects of running a successful festival and shared some great little secret tips and tactics to ensure your event is the best it can be. I have attended event seminars before but this masterclass is the one if you take pride in your events and have a genuine drive to make them better and better into the future. The Band Wagon Agency

Göteborg

This Masterclass gave me a lot of high energy and fabulous new friends. Thanks Paulfor sharing your knowledge and the guidance you gave! Now I know how to increasemy festival! Kulturnatta Göteborg

All we talked about I can apply to my own way of thinking when it comes to our event, and I got so many new ideas and also confirmation that what we do is right, which leads me to believe that our dance festival will be even more successful this time around. Thank you Paul for two packed, and inspiring days! Abundance International Dance Festival

Utrecht

The two days masterclass really stirred things up in a positive way. And we look forward to showing our audience what we got for them. Festival Mooie Woorden

Great story’s, enormous amount of useful information and I met a lot of interesting people. But above all it has given me a much wider view on (my) events. Smartlappenfestival, Oktoberfest

Copenhagen

I’m happy I participated this class. It gave me new energy and inspired me to think about my own events and projects from another perspective - because sometimes you can get stuck in your own way of doing things and then it’s good to get new input. bazART, Center for Arts & Interculture.

Thank you for a lot of important information and a lovely opportunity to rethink my own Salaam Film festivals challenges and possibilities in Denmark. I’ll recommend the course to everyone - high and low in the business. Salaam Filmfestival

Oslo

The sky is the limit! The course confirmed in many ways that our little festival is on the right track, and that gives us so much renewed energy. You can’t put a price in that! Sirkusfestivalen, Sarpsborg.

The masterclass on festivals gave food for thought, presented in an inspiring and refreshing way. CODA Oslo International Dance Festival

Helsinki‘Paul has the amazing ability to coach event management professionals participating in his Masterclass without them even knowing it! He inspires participants to think and connect the dots in a creative way in order to create stronger programmes, partnerships and networks for their festival and events. His passion is contagiousCulture Export Management and PR Lounge

OverijsselThe masterclass on festivals gave me lots of new insights and ideas. It also gave me the possibility to evaluate the current approach. Furthermore it gave great energy to our group and will lead to a better cooperation in (near) future. A must to for everyone involved with the programming and (collective) promotion of festivals!Festivalbureau Overijssel

Rocky HarbourThe Festival & Event Management Masterclass was one of the most useful courses I’ve ever attended, with tons of practical advice and the chance to collaborate with festival organizers throughout the region. Paul led us through multiple exercises that produced some truly inspiring and innovative ideas. Go Western Newfoundland

Here are just a few of the festivals and organisations that have attended the Masterclass: